Railroad-switch



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O TROUP RAILROAD SWITCH.

Patented July 20 Charles T 1 0 AUOR/VEYS.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 sheets sheet 2.

0. TROUP RAILROAD SWITCH.

No. 586,918. Patented July 20, 1897.

A WITNESSES l lA/VE/VTOR fh/i 7 5775111155 77272927.

AfTOR/VEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

CHARLES TROUP, OF WATSEKA, ILLINOIS.

'RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 586,918, dated July 20, 1897. Application filed September 24, 1896. Serial NO- 606,840, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES TROUP, of Watseka, in the county of Iroquois and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in railway-switches, and particularly in the devices for operating the switch-rails, for locking the vided with my improvements.

same in position to open the main line, and for releasing the locking devices; and the invention consists incertain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims. v

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sectionof a railway-switch pro Fig; 2 is a cross-section on about line 2 2, Fig. 1, drawn alongside the locking-bar. Fig. 3 is 'a detail View illustrating the tripping mechanism for automatically releasing the locking-bar. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sections on about lines 4 4 and 5 5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 illustrates the treadle mechanism in detail.

The main rails A and switch-rails B may be of ordinary construction, the switch or split rails B being pivoted at b and movable at their points to and from the fixed rails. To prevent stones or the like from resting upon the ties between the fixed rails and the movable points of the switch-rails, I form the ties under the movable points of the switch-rails in inverted-V shape and preferably cover such ties with metal, as shown. It will be seen these V-shaped ties will prevent any lodgment of stones between the fixed and movable rails and avoid the possibility of said rails being prevented. from moving snugly against the fixed rail.-

The switch-rails are connected together as usual and are also connected with the operating slide-rod-D,'which passes through guide E and receives an actuating-spring F, which encircles the rod D and bears at one end against the guide E and at its other end against a stop f, which is preferably a nut threaded on the slide-rod D, so the tension of the spring F may be adjusted as desired. This spring F acts to hold the split rails in position to open the main line and for the purpose of closing same when cars have split ated to push said rod against the tension of its spring to open the switch to the siding. In. connection with the devices for operating the switch-points I provide a lock for securing the points in position to open the main line, and I also provide, in connection with said lock, means for releasing the same, which means are operated bythe switch-stand or other ha'nd'devices for opening the switch, and 'Ialso provide devices for automatically releasing said look by the passage of trains from the siding onto the main line, all of which will be described.

The lock is shown as composed of a bar I, pivoted at 1) between its ends and having its inner end 1 extended beneath the inner switch-point and provided with a hook-like shoulder i to engage the said switch-point, while itsou ter end I is extended or Weighted to ovei'balance the inner end I and has a beveled edge or portion 2' for engagement by a lug h on the pitman H, and such arm 1 is connected in suitable manner with thetarget J, so such target will be thrown up when the lock is released from the switch-point.

In the operation of the hand devices it Will be noticed that as the pitman H is moved inward to open the switch it will first release the look by the bearing of its lug it against the beveled edge t of the lock and will then compress the spring and move the slide-rod O to open theswitch.

The part b (shown in section in Fig. 2) is a small plate secured to the under side of the base of the rail to form a seat for engagement by the shoulder i of the locking-bar I.

If a car or train be passing from the switch onto the main line, the flanges of its wheels will tend to throw the switch-points over if the lock be released. To release the look by the passage of the train, I provide a trippingbar K alongside the switch-rail, and which may be depressed by the flange of the car wheels. When depressed, this tripping-bar engages a crank L on the inner end 01": a shaft M, which is weighted at m and is provided with a crank N, connected by a rod 0 with a bell-crank lever P, which engages beneath the outer arm I of the lock I in such manner as to lift the said arm and release the look from engagement with the switch-point when the tripping-bar is depressed. This construction is desirable not only when cars are intentionally directed from the siding onto the main line, but also when cars in switching, either in a yard or elsewhere, are accidentally thrown farther than desired. If one should be forced through a switch, it would tend to injure the switch-stand or operating devices unless some means for releasing the loekin g devices automatically were provided.

It will be noticed that the instant the lock is released from the switch-point the target is shown and remains exposed until the lock is again in engagement with the switch-point, whether the said point is operated by hand or automatically.

In operation, if the switch be opened by hand and the train directed thereinto, as soon as front trucks of car or engine enter onto the split or shifting rails the switch-stand can be closed and will need no further handling, as the flanges of the car-wheels, bearing against the shifting rails, will keep said rails in position for egress of the car or train, and when the train enters the siding the switch will be closed and locked automatically, leaving the main line clear. This of course necessitates the making of the switch-poin ts long enough to prevent their receding until the last trucks of the car enter the points. \Vhen short shifting rails or switch-points are used, the stand must be operated to hold them in position until the train or car passes.

A train or car may be shifted directly from the siding onto the main line without operating the switch-stand. It will be noticed this switch-stand is of ordinary construction and of a kind now commonly used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in a railway-switch, with the switch-points, of the locking-bar pivoted between its ends and arranged at its inner end to engage the switch-point and having its outer end beveled, and the hand devices for operating said switch-points having a moving part engaged with the beveled ed ge of the locking-barsubstantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the switch-points, of the locking-bar pivoted between its ends and engaged at its inner end with the switchpoint, a bell-crank lever having one arm engaged with the outer arm of the locking-bar, a rod connected with the other arm of said lever, a shaft having at one end a crank connected with said rod, a second crank on said shaft and a tripping device arranged to engage said second crank substantially as shown and described.

3. The improvement in railway-switches herein described consisting of the switehpoints, a lock consisting of a bar pivoted between its ends and arranged at its inner end to engage the switch-point and having its outer end beveled, the hand-operated devices having a moving part engaging said beveled end of the lock-bar, a slide-rod extended through a suitable guide and a nutthreaded on said slide-rod and a spring bearing between said nut and guide, a bell-crank lever engaging the outer arm of the locking-bar, a shaft having a crank at its outer end connected with said bell-crank lever, and also provided with a crank at its inner end and a tripping device engaging and operating said inner crank, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination in a railway-switch of the switch-points, the locking-bar pivoted between its ends and arranged at its inner end to engage the switch-point, and the hand devices eonnected with and operating such switch-points and having a moving part engaging and operating the locking-bar substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of the switch-points, the locking-bar extendin g transversely such points and having its inner arm engaging one of such points, and the target connected with the outer end of said locking-bar substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination of the switch, the lock ing-bar, the bell-crank lever having one arm engaging the outer arm of the locking-bar, a connecting-rod connected with the other arm of said bell-crank lever, the tripping device and the bell-crank lever between said tripping device and the connecting-rod substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination of the switch, the sliderod connected therewith, a spring by which to actuate said rod, and the hand device having a portion moving into and out of engagement with the slide-rod whereby to actuate the same substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of the switch, the sliderod connected therewith, a spring operating said rod in one direction, the pivoted locking-bar engaged at its inner end with the switch-point, and the switch-operating device having a sliding part by which to actuate the slide-rod in opposition to its spring and a portion by which to engage and release the lockin g-bar substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES TROUP.

Witnesses:

W. S. KAY, MOO. KAY. 

